


Turn Around (Bright Eyes)

by parcequelle



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Episode: s04e06 Rejoined, F/F, Fix-It, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-10
Updated: 2020-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:40:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23097229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parcequelle/pseuds/parcequelle
Summary: Lenara makes a decision, or maybe it makes her.
Relationships: Jadzia Dax/Lenara Kahn
Comments: 28
Kudos: 65





	Turn Around (Bright Eyes)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Netgirl_y2k](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Netgirl_y2k/gifts).



> This here is an International Women's Day ficlet for Netgirl_y2k, who prompted Jadzia/Lenara.

Lenara makes it all the way to her seat in the shuttle, her bag stowed overhead and her eyes squeezed shut, before the weight of her error fully descends. There is no single moment of realisation, no epiphany; the heaviness she has been feeling since the moment she turned away from Jadzia has only sharpened, only increased with every step, and when she sits, that weight sits down with her. She knows that if she leaves now, she will never know peace.

She turns to Bejal and opens her mouth, ready to fight, but he cuts her off with the one word she would never expect: ‘Go.’

‘But you—’

‘Don’t push your luck, dear sister. I may not agree with what you are doing, but I can see that there is no stopping you.’

Lenara swallows, fear and relief and disbelief crowding her throat. ‘What will you tell them?’

‘The truth,’ he says, and her heart sinks. Then he says, ‘That you are needed on Deep Space Nine. That you make an excellent research partner to the Starfleet science team. That it is my… recommendation that you remain at this post for the foreseeable future.’

‘Bejal, I—’

‘Leave it, Lenara,’ he says, and his words are harsh, but his tone is gentle, resigned. ‘Promise only that you are doing the right thing.’

‘Oh,’ Lenara murmurs, reaching out to brush his cheek, ‘I am doing the only thing.’

He sighs deeply, shaking his head, but a smile loiters in the corners of his mouth. ‘Then that, I fear, is all the reassurance I need.’

*

She finds Jadzia in Quark’s, tucked away at a corner table with a glass of deep purple liquor, surrounded by a veritable comfort squad consisting of Major Kira, Captain Sisko, Julian Bashir, Miles O’Brien, and one exceedingly pretty dabo girl.

‘At least you’ve got us,’ Julian is saying. ‘We may be a poor substitute for Lenara, but we’ll always be here for you, and we’ll do our best to support you, no matter what.’

‘Seconded,’ Miles says. ‘If you need a distraction, Dax, you’re more than welcome to help me wage war against the environmental controls. Bloody temperamental bastards.’

‘Thanks. Both of you.’

‘I volunteer to give you plenty of extra assignments to occupy you too, Old Man,’ Sisko says. Lenara can hear the grin in his voice, can hear Jadzia’s weak laugh in response.

Lenara, unseen, brushes off another dabo girl’s offer of a drink and begins to slowly ascend the winding staircase to the upper floor. She reaches the top just as Kira bursts out, ‘I can’t believe how cynical you all are. You’re acting like they’ll never see each other again! For all you know Lenara could realise she feels just as Jadzia does and come—’

‘I couldn’t agree more,’ Lenara says, and, as though it’s been scripted, six heads whip up and around to look at her.

‘—back,’ Kira finishes. Her eyes shoot between Lenara and Jadzia, and she looks ready to strike.

‘That was rather prophetic,’ Julian murmurs. He isn’t the only one speaking, but Lenara isn’t listening anyway; she’s looking at Dax. At Jadzia.

The weight has gone, she realises absently, as they watch one another. That hardened heaviness in her chest has dissolved and shifted into a special brand of anxiety reserved for the previous – the current – love of her life.

Jadzia has been rendered speechless (and later that evening, Lenara will be proud of that accomplishment and will make sure to gloat accordingly) so Lenara takes a step closer, hitches her bag behind her shoulder and says, ‘I’d like to stay.’ Jadzia’s eyes widen, full of painful, guarded hope and so much emotion Lenara could cry. ‘If you’ll have me.’

Jadzia stands, finally; Lenara doesn’t miss that Julian has prodded her in the back to push her into action. ‘What about Trill?’ she asks.

‘Trill isn’t as important as you are.’

She knows that it isn’t that easy, that their lives to come will be fraught with pain, and sadness, and homesickness, but she also knows she can cope if they are together.

‘What about Bejal?’

‘He knows,’ Lenara says. ‘He doesn’t exactly approve, but he… understands.’

Now Jadzia takes one step forward, one and then another, and Lenara swallows. Her whole body is tingling, and she hasn’t even had any of that purple liquor. ‘What does he understand?’

When Jadzia has reached her, her beautiful eyes as expressive and inviting as Lenara has ever seen them, Lenara says, ‘He understands that I belong here. With you.’

‘Are you absolutely sure?’ Jadzia asks. Her voice breaks as she lifts a trembling hand to Lenara’s chin, barely daring to touch, and Lenara scrunches her eyes closed against the doubt she has caused. ‘Because if you leave me again, if you change your mind next week, or next month, I’m not sure I can… I don’t think I can take that. Not again.’

‘I’m _sure_ ,’ Lenara says. She raises her own hand to cover Jadzia’s, draws their joined fingers down to her chest. ‘I’m here to stay. I promise.’

Jadzia smiles, finally, a bright and dawning thing, and then she says, ‘Then you’d better be prepared to kiss me hello.’

‘I think I can manage that,’ Lenara says, and does. 

When they break apart, Lenara is only vaguely aware of Captain Sisko whooping, of Kira crowing, ‘I told you!’ and of Quark somewhere below them, shouting, ‘Who put latinum on three hours? Morn? Not _again_.’

All she sees is Jadzia.


End file.
